Advertisement

Tourists Feared Dead In Nepal Trekking Valley

Up to 300 people may have been buried in Nepal's popular trekking area of Langtang during last month's devastating earthquake, a local official said.

That figure could include up to 110 tourists, assistant district administrator Gautam Rimal told Reuters.

"There are body parts, broken limbs and pieces of flesh scattered in the area," he said.

Langtang Village, which lies around 40 miles (60km) north of the capital Kathmandu, was almost completely wiped out when an avalanche and landslide struck the area during the 7.8-magnitude quake almost two weeks ago.

The bodies of the victims are believed to be buried under up to six metres of ice, snow and rock.

Newly released amateur footage shows the terrifying moment it hit Kyanjin Gompa, near Langtang, sending tourists and locals fleeing to open spaces.

According to reports, just one house was left standing in the village, once home to around 435 people and 55 hotels and guesthouses.

Kat Heldman, an American who left Langtang Village on a trek shortly before the quake said: "We see this giant cloud of white. It was moving very fast - we knew it was an avalanche.

"Our guide screamed: 'Avalanche, run!' We ran through the town as fast as we could, but you can't outrun an avalanche."

It remains unclear how many people were in the area at the time of the quake, with recovery efforts severally hampered by bad weather.

However, at least 300 people have been rescued, according to Mr Rimal

According to Russia's RIA news agency, the bodies of two Russian diplomats were discovered near Langtang village on Thursday, adding to the 100 bodies recovered over the weekend.

The Foreign Office told Sky News it is currently seeking to establish whether any Britons were killed in the area.

"We are working with disaster victim identification experts and the Nepalese authorities to identify whether any British nationals are among the dead," it said in a statement.

At least one British national, 23-year-old Matt Carapiet, is among those still missing.

The architecture student from Bearsted, Kent was trekking through Langtang Valley when the earthquake struck.

Family friend Rob Bailey said Mr Carapiet's family is continuing to endure an agonising wait to hear what happened to him.

He said: "We are waiting for the phone to ring and dreading the phone ringing simultaneously. It is a horrible feeling.

"We are hoping Matt wasn't in the village at that time. The family are holding in but it has not been easy.

"The only option we have got now is to be patient. The work the teams out there are doing isn't easy."

The death toll across Nepal has reached 7,759 and is expected to rise further.

At least one Briton has been confirmed dead so far.

The UN estimates that eight million people have been affected by the quake, including 2.8 million who have been displaced.